The ERC Steering Group provides advice on the strategic direction of the Centre, providing advice on activities and actions that will help it achieve its aims. The Steering Group also provides guidance and practical support with communications and dissemination activities.
The Steering Group meets twice a year. It has an independent Chair, Jane Galsworthy, and membership is drawn from the ERC’s stakeholder and research community.
David Bharier
Head of Research, British Chambers of Commerce
David is Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce and leads on the delivery of the Chamber Network’s national survey programme, which analyses business attitudes towards a range of policy areas, including taxation, labour market conditions, international trade, and Brexit. The analysis is reported widely across the media and is briefed across the UK Government and Bank of England.
Delma Dwight
Director of Black Country Economic Intelligence Unit & Director of Midlands Engine Observatory
Delma Dwight has been pioneering the development, implementation and leadership of an evidence-based approach to policy and strategy development across the Midlands for over 20 years.
Delma was educated in Ireland and holds a First-Class Honours degree (Batchelors) in Commerce from University College Galway and an Honours Masters (MA) in Economics from University College Dublin and holds a Visiting Professorship with the University of Wolverhampton.
Dinah Jackson
Head of Projects, Rural Design Centre and National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise
Head of Projects, a new role within NICRE and shared with the North East’s Rual Design Centre to develop and implement new projects relating to rural innovation, rural economic growth and regeneration. I bring to this new role a range of regeneration and economic development experience and expertise from a career starting out in countryside management, evolving into regeneration policy, and latterly designing and delivering economic growth initiatives, the majority of which I’ve undertaken here in the North East.
Jane Galsworthy
Director of Development, Oxford Innovation Services. Chair, ERC Steering Group.
Jane has been involved in the design and delivery of support for SMEs and entrepreneurs for over 15 years. She is part of the senior leadership team at Oxford Innovation and leads on design of practical support around growth, innovation and finance that helps ambitious businesses and start-ups to reach their full potential. Jane is chair of the ERC Steering group.
Lee Hopley
Director, Economic Insight and Research, UK Finance Director
Lee is currently Director of Economic Insight and Research at UK Finance and is responsible the collection and dissemination of data relating to the support the finance sector provides to business and households. Lee and the team provide the data and research service to UK Finance members and produce public commentary and analysis on trends in the banking and finance sector, including data relating to household and business finance, trends in payments, and fraud related indicators. She is also responsible for the programme of research and analysis which informs UK Finance’s policy and representation activities. She was previously Deputy Director at the Enterprise Research Centre and Chief Economist at EEF, the manufactures’ organisation (now Make UK).
Liz Barclay
Small Business Commissioner for the UK
Small Business Commissioner for the UK. Former small business and personal finance journalist, writer and broadcaster. Experienced Board Chair, NED and HR and Remco Chair across private and third sector organisations. Internal and external communications consultant and trainer. Conference speaker and facilitator.
Nida Broughton
Head of Economic Growth and Productivity, Behavioural Insights Team
Nida Broughton is Head of Economic Growth and Productivity at the Behavioural Insights Team, where she leads BIT's work programmes on applying behavioural insights to improving employee productivity, business support, market functioning and macroeconomic policy. Previously, she was Chief Economist at the Social Market Foundation, leading policy research on economic growth, public spending and employment.
Nola Hewitt-Dundas
Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast
Nola Hewitt-Dundas is Professor of Innovation Management and Policy and Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast. She has published consistently in leading international journals on innovation systems, the micro-economics of business innovation and university-business collaboration. An internationally recognised expert, she has provided advice to national and international organisations and serves on the Board of UKRI.
Paul Wilson
Policy Director, Federation of Small Businesses
Paul Wilson is the Policy Director at the Federation of Small Businesses. FSB aims to provide a voice for the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses and the self-employed. Paul’s policy team publishes regular reports on a range of topics, recently including business energy prices, skills and training, and access to finance. Prior to joining FSB, Paul was a director at the Law Society.
Richard Jeffery
National Director, GC Business
Richard Jeffery is National Director of GC Business, part of The Growth Company, a social enterprise dedicated to enabling growth, creating jobs and improving lives; GC Business helps transform over 35,000 businesses a year across the UK. Richard is leading the national expansion of The Growth Company’s support services.
Simon Collinson
Director of the West Midlands Regional Economic Development Institute (WMREDI) and City-REDI.
Simon is Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Regional Engagement at the University of Birmingham and Director of WMREDI and City-REDI which help develop policies for inclusive economic growth across UK regions. He is based in Birmingham Business School where he was Dean (2012-2016). He has previously worked at the Universities of Warwick and Edinburgh and was Chair of the Chartered Association of Business Schools and a member of the ESRC Council.
Tim Vorley
Deputy Director, Productivity Insights Network
Tim is Deputy Director of the ESRC funded Productivity Insights Network and leads the Innovation Caucus funded by Innovate UK/ESRC.
Verity Davidge
Director of Policy at Make UK
Verity is the Director of Policy at Make UK, representing and championing manufacturing in the UK and supporting businesses around the country. She leads in directing the organisation’s policy work, raising the profile of manufacturing and ensuring that the views of Make UK’s members are heard by the Government and wider policy makers. She regularly represents Make UK in the media and in Parliament, appearing before Select Committees and All Party Parliamentary Groups, as well as sitting on Government led boards and advisory groups.
